


Martha

by stormwatch09



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 06:39:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21049961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormwatch09/pseuds/stormwatch09





	Martha

Martha wasn’t always a nobody, but once you hit middle school, that all changes. She had fallen in love with a boy in kindergarten and never really lost hope that he would come back to her. As gross as it sounded, she even kept a locket with a scab he gave her. She was just that hopelessly in love with him. But when you’re in high school, there’s the in-crowd and everyone else and Martha was definitely not the in-crowd.

Dear Diary,  
My best friend, Veronica Sawyer, has recently found a way to join the uber-exclusive Heathers and had become a rare fixture in my life. So here I am, alone and forgotten by two of the most important people in my life: Ram and Veronica. Ram, of course, became a star linebacker here at Westerberg and never really looked back. It’s almost like he forgot the time we shared on that mat back in kindergarten. I could never forget that moment. For almost half an hour, I watched him breathe and I knew he was mine. Well at least until the moment we hit first grade, but that’s a story for another time. For now, I’ll leave you with this - “true love stories never have endings” - Richard Bach. You know how much I love a happy ending.

Martha looked up from her diary long enough to see Veronica scribbling something on Heather Duke’s back at the Heathers’ lunch table. It looked a lot like she wasn’t happy to be doing it. Almost like it was forced. Martha wondered what Veronica saw in the Heathers. Sure they’re solid Teflon, never bothered, never harassed, but were they worth losing her best friend over? Martha certainly didn’t think so, but what did she know? Veronica had only been her best friend since diapers. 

Martha reached down for her backpack to put away her diary. It would be catastrophic if anyone read what was in here. The teasing already really sucked, but she couldn’t bear for it to get worse. Senior year had just started after all. She still had 9 more months in this dump.

When she looked up from her backpack, an oddly familiar piece of paper was sitting tucked under her lunch tray. She searched around hoping to figure out the mystery note writer might be, but the busy cafeteria gave her no clues.

Martha slowly unfolded the note, just in case something fell out. The breath caught in her chest. This was Ram’s handwriting. She knew his writing almost as well as she knew her own. What could this mean? He hadn’t written her a note since kindergarten. Martha read over the note, the first time to see the words on the page, and the second time to understand what those words said. He wants ME to come to his homecoming party?! I’ll bring some sparkling cider!! This was the best day of her life! She knew Ram hadn’t forgotten about their kindergarten romance. They were meant for each other and this note just solidified that for Martha. She was so excited to tell Veronica all about. She doubted Martha’s deep-seated belief that she and Ram were meant for each other. This would definitely show her.

The bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period. Martha squeezed the note into her chest and then slowly folding it back up with incredible care and put it in her backpack, where it would be safe until she got home. Veronica passed her as she was going to her locker before class.

“Veronica!!”

“Woah. Hey Martha. Sorry about missing The Princess Bride last night. I know it’s your favorite movie because of the happy ending.”

“It’s alright. I know being a Heather is hard work and time-consuming.”

“I’m not a Heather. I’m still Veronica.”

“Right. Anyway, look at this note I got at lunch!!”

Martha handed Veronica the note and she noticed the look on her face get dark. She wondered what that was about but didn’t think too much of it.

“See I told you there was still something there! This proves he’s been thinking about me.”

“Color me stoked”, Veronica said after a moment that felt almost too long.

Veronica handed the note back to Martha wordlessly.

“I’ve got to get to class. I’ll see you later?”

“Of course! I can’t wait.” Martha turned and headed off to her own class.

When Martha got home later that night, she found the bottle of sparkling cider her parents had bought for New Year’s but no one ever drank. She slipped it into her favorite purse and turned to walk out of the house. She was going to show up and make an entrance. That would definitely force Ram to pay attention to her with all of his friends around. Martha was ready for her life to change after tonight. 

Ram only lived a couple of blocks away from her, so she was able to walk. She could feel the season changing. The bitter wind caught her off guard at first, but as her walk continued, she grew used to it and almost welcomed it by the time she reached the Sweeny house. The music was already blaring and she could feel the bass in her chest. At least she thought it was the bass, it definitely could have been her heartbeat. She opened the door and was greeted by the drunk versions of her classmates. There were people making out on the stairs, in dark corners, on the kitchen counters, literally anywhere. There were shots and beers everywhere. Martha felt so out of place. That’s when she saw Veronica getting lessons on how to take a shot from Heather McNamara, the most down-to-earth of the Heathers. It was an odd sight and it made her giggle to realize how ridiculous this all seemed.

Just at that moment, she caught sight of Ram. After a couple of deep breaths to steady herself, she walked up to Ram. 

“Hi, Ram! I wasn’t going to come but since you took the trouble to write that sweet note -”

“What note?!” Ram questioned loudly, “Why do you gotta be so weird all the time? People wouldn’t hate you so much if you acted normal” He almost spit that word back in her face. Ram snatched the bottle of cider out of her hand and took a big gulp of it. He immediately spit it out as if his body had rejected it. “There’s no alcohol in this. Are you trying to poison me?”

He stormed off and Martha found a quiet corner where there weren’t horny teens making out.

Suddenly, the Heathers announced they were going to bring out a pinata to the party. They began to look for volunteers until landing on Martha.

“Martha! You should take the first swing!” Heather McNamara said.

“I don’t really get this game,” Martha replied. Before she knew it, a blindfold covered her eyes. They brought out the pinata she guessed, but never saw it because there seemed to be a struggle between the Heathers and Veronica and then a splash. She made a mental note to as Veronica what that was all about anyway. When she took off the blindfold, she could tell that Veronica was about to get kicked out of the Heathers. After Veronica left, Martha did too. She went home unaware that a pig-shaped pinata that bore a huge resemblance of her was currently floating in Ram’s pool.

Within the week, Ram would be dead.

Martha was never really sure about what happened leading up to Ram’s death. She couldn’t let herself believe that it was because he was gay with Kurt. Kurt fucking Kelley. There was no way. What about her? What about their love? What about kindergarten?

The grief was too much for Martha. She couldn’t go on without Ram. She wouldn’t go on without Ram. They were meant for each other. They belonged together. If he was dead, she guessed she would have to die too.

Martha wrote a suicide note to explain to her parents why she did what she did. She couldn’t let them wonder why things happened the way they did. She had to give them closure.

She grabbed the locket she kept Ram’s scab in for all those years and wore it near her heart one last time.

Martha went to the Old Mill Bridge to finally end her grief. She was going to be reunited with the love of her life, one way or another. She held onto the locket close and then just let herself fall over the side of the bridge.

The wind felt nice on her skin. It felt odd thinking that just before she knew she was going to die, but she couldn’t help herself. When she finally hit the water, everything went cold and black. Martha was finally going to be reunited with Ram.


End file.
